Who Are They?
by ssimon
Summary: What if Lena came in to contact with Callie and Jude at a younger age? This is an AU of how Callie and Jude fell in to the hands of the Fosters differently then they did in the show. Note- Flashbacks are in italics
1. There side of San Diego

Callie woke with a panic when she felt someone breathing on her neck, she turned and jumped to see Jude staring at her. Jude's pale face, illuminated by the hallway light and filled with fear, stared back... sending a silent message. Callie sighed and looked back at the alarm clock to see that it was 5am... time to get up and get read for school.

At twelve years old, Callie was fairly independent and usually took the motherly role for her nine year old brother Jude. The siblings had been thrown around between foster homes for the past two years... and things weren't any easier in their 5th and current home. John, a heavy drinker and not one to comfort or coddle the children was in fact, not the ideal father... foster or not.

As Callie led her brother out of the bedroom, carefullly avoiding the creaky floor boards, they made their way to the bathroom... to prepare for another day. Callie quickly and efficiently pulled dirty clothes out of the hamper and handed them to Jude, "Sorry buddy, she forgot to do the laundry again... these will have to do." Jude looks at the clothes in disgust and shakes his head... relaying the same thoughts as Callie. Mary, their foster mother was not a mother at all. More of a gold digger... fostering for the money and nothing else. Mary's interaction with kids was limited... usually a scoff in their direction was about it. However, Mary was very careful to make it appear differently to the public eye, she put the money in for the kids to go to Anchor Beach charter school... only the finest school in San Diego. Callie and Jude certainly didn't mind... school was their escape from John and Mary... Their escape from reality.

Once changed, the brother and sister headed down stairs to look for some breakfast. Callie found a frozen waffle for Jude... unfortunatly that meant she would have to go without breakfast this morning. Jude took the waffle from Callie and looked to see what she was going to eat, he stared at her with a pain in his eyes, he glanced down at his waffle and placed it back in the freezer. "No, Jude, you need to eat. I'll be fine... ok? Don't worry about me." Callie picked up the waffle and handed it back to him and then turned to pack their backpacks.

Jude was very small for nine, and the lack of food was only making him look even more unhealthy. Like always, Callie was putting Jude first, making sure his needs were met and making sure he was happy or as happy as possible.

_ Nine year old Callie followed her 6 year old brother Jude, in to the house... both yelling their versions of the situaton at hand. Colleen, was at the counter making dinner whe she heard the kids coming, she turned to see a very upset Jude and a frustrated Callie. With exasperation in her voice, she sent both kids to their bedrooms while she decided how to defuse the argument._

_ A few minutes later she found Jude in his room, sitting on his bed... sulking. She took his face in her hands and examined the bruise forming around his right eye, "Jude, baby, what happened?" Jude tried to answer but his words were drowned in tears and he was incohherant. Colleen decided that her best bet was to go straight to Callie. In her room Callie was pacing, hands clasped behind her back and a look of worry crossed her face when her mother enter with Jude on her hip. "Callie come sit with me, please tell me exactly what happened." Callie tenativly approached her bed and began to explain, word from word what happened in the backyard. Colleen couldn't help but laugh when she realized that this was all just a big misunderstanding. Callie and Jude were playing catch when Jude caught one with his eye and then overreacted. Colleen engulfed both her kids in to a hug and made them exchange apologies. She sent Jude to find an ice pack and asked Callie to sit back down, "Baby, Jude is your only bother, he is so lucky to have you and you are so lucky to have him... thats why you need to protect him, support him and love him uncondtionally. Do you understand?" Colleen looked deep in to Callie's eyes when she reached over and wiped a tear from the young girl's cheek._

_ The next day, Colleen was taken from them... far too soon and Callie stepped up for her brother._

As the kids were getting ready to walk out the door, they were stopped in their tracks by John, a chill was sent down Callie's spine and she felt Jude's body tense up next to her. Callie made a brave attempt to step around him when John reached out and grabbed her pony tail. He pulled her back around to face him and snarled at her... that disgusting grin that made her cringe. He looked her in the eye and said, "Have a good day little girl." Callie felt nausous with the smell of his breath and the deadly tone he had used... she wanted out of there... now. John forcefully slammed her against the door and turned to face Jude, he frowned and wagged his finger in Jude's face, "and you... you stupid mute. Sleep with your sister again?" Jude stared blankly as Callie pulled him out the door. John clipped Jude in the back of the head with his hand and laughed. That very laugh haunted the children as they walked to the bus stop, but as soon as the doors to the bus closed behind them... a weight was lifted of their shoulders. For seven hours, they'd be safe. For seven hours, they wouldn't have to worry. For seven hours... they could be remotely happy.


	2. It's a whole new world

Its 5:30 am, Lena rolls over to turn off the alarm and was greeted by a smiling Stef, "Good morning Love!" Stef leaned down and planted a kiss on her head, when Lena reached up and pulled her in for a hug. Stef moved the hair out of Lena's face as they continued to pepper each other with small kisses, "I will go get the kids up and start breakfast so you can get ready... ok?" Lena moans in aggravation and looks up at Stef with her big brown eyes, "Can't we just play hooky today?", she gave a small smile and she kissed Stef again. "No, sorry babe, but we've got bills to pay and an education to provide to our kids." Stef stands up as she buttons her uniform shirt and smiles down at Lena.

Stef stops at Brandon's door, leans on the frame and can't help but smile at her twelve year old son. She may be biased but Brandon has become such a great kid, so kind, thoughtful and incredibly talented. She knows the divorce was tough on him and then to tell him that she was a lesbian was confusing... But Brandon took it all in stride. Stef walks in, runs her hand through his hair and kisses his forehead, "Good morning B... today's a new day... time to rise and shine." She smiles down at him as Brandon's eyelids flutter open and he stretches. He looks up at her with a huge grin, "morning mom..." "How'd you sleep?" B shrugs... "Pretty good." Stef stands up to wake the others, when she looks over her shoulder, "breakfast is in 30 minutes."

Next she enters in to Jesus's room to find that the eleven year old is already dressed and playing his PSP. Stef stops and watches for a few moments... Jesus has come a long way since they were adopted last year. He was extremely hyper, impulsive and strong-willed... Stef brushed it off as typical boy behavior but Lena insisted that they have him tested. A few weeks later they learned that Jesus had ADHD and he was promptly put on Ritalin. Thankfully Lena has a PhD in child psychology and has experience in the field of child behavior. They started work with Jesus on controlling himself, teaching him coping mechanisms for when his emotions became too much to handle and they also put him in some activities to help with his energy level. "Hey Bud! Are you ready to go?" Jesus glances up from his game, smiles and looks back down, "Yep! I even changed my underwear and put on my shoes." Stef chuckles quietly and raises an eyebrow, "That's great dude, do you want to come and help with breakfast?" She steps aside... anticipating Jesus's answer... with much enthusiasm, Jesus shouts with glee, "Yeah sure!" He tosses the gaming device on his bed and races out of his room.

Stef watches as Jesus jogs down the stairs before she turns in to Mariana's room. The small girl is sleeping peacefully, Stef leans down to kiss her cheek when she starts to think about how much Mariana has changed. Even though she is his twin, she was not as confident, accepting or trusting as Jesus was. She was fearful, shy and completely overwhelmed with Stef, Lena and Brandon. When Stef met the twins at the station and offered them lollipops... Mari wouldn't even take it from Stef... She was cautious and very concerned about the people around her. It took Stef and Lena a long time to gain her trust and to reassure her that they would never hurt her. Now, at eleven years old, Mariana loved to be with her family and friends, she did well in school and loved to dance. Stef brushed away piece of hair and watch the young girl's face twist in annoyance, "Hey Miss Thing... time to get up and get ready for the day... come on baby." Stef pulls Mariana up by her arms and brings her in for a hug as she kisses the top of her head. "Good morning mom..." Mariana yawns and wraps her arms around Stef, "Hi sweet girl... how'd you sleep?" With her face buried in Stef's uniform, she mumbles "good." Mariana pulls away and smiles up at Stef... "Good. Now let's get up and get going... Breakfast will be ready soon." Stef stands up to leave as Mariana starts to untangle herself from her blankets.

Brandon had been ready for a while now, but was waiting for Mariana and his mom to go down stairs... with a little privacy; he crosses the hall and knocked on the master bedroom door. From within, Lena invites the visitor inside and Brandon quickly shuts the door behind him. Lena was doing her hair in the full length mirror and saw Brandon's reflection enter the bedroom, without turning around she smiles, "Good morning B, Sleep well!?" Brandon approaches Lena, smiles and then looks around apprehensively, "yeah yeah... I slept just fine. Um, Mama... could I bring a lunch to her again? She seemed really happy when I gave her the bag yesterday... I think she's really hungry Mama." B looks up at Lena, his eyes full of concern... Lena gives him a small smile, "Sure, I think she is very grateful to have someone like you watching out for her... I am so proud of you Brandon." Brandon grins and looks down at his hands... "Mama... why is she so hungry?" Lena sighs and brings him in for a side hug, "I don't know bud... but I'm going to find out. Ok? I don't want you to worry too much. The teachers and I are watching out for her." She kisses his temple and looks in to his worried eyes, "Come on... I smell bacon." They grin at each other and head down towards the rest of the family.

"I was beginning to worry about you two!" Stef states as she glances over her shoulder, while flipping pancakes. Lena smiles at her and then walks over to Mariana, "Good morning baby" as she kisses the back of her head. She makes her way towards Jesus, quickly stopping to grab his medication, hands it to Jesus and brings him in for hug. "Mornin Mama, could I have a friend over after school?" "Hm... I don't think so Jesus... Mariana has dance, Brandon has piano and you have volleyball... it'll be dinner time by the time we get home." Jesus's shoulders slump in disappointment and Lena runs her hand through his hair as in apology. Stef starts to pass out pancakes, eggs and bacon, while Brandon pours drinks, Mariana passes out utensils and Lena works with Jesus on packing lunches. As Stef gets her own coffee, she notices an extra brown bag... "Um hon, the last time I checked we only had three kids..." she looks at Lena with confusion, "oh um, Brandon is bringing an extra lunch for another student... don't worry about it. Everything is alright." Lena quickly glances at Brandon to reassure him and puts the two brown bags in his back pack. Stef looks at Lena with concern but pushes it aside to please her wife... "Well we should get going! The car is leaving in five minutes... whoever is not in it, can walk to school. OK?" Lena turns towards Stef, kisses her on the lips and leaves her with a tight hug. Stef can't help but smile lovingly at her wife, Lena's hugs are so full of warmth, they're comforting and you can't help but feel protected when she embraces you. Stef gives each of the kids a kiss good bye and bids them farewell.


	3. Two different worlds

** Authors Note- Hello friends! I am so so so sorry for the lack of updates! But there has been a change of plans and I will be resuming with the story myself. I'm not entirely confident with my writing skills but with the assistance of Lacorra and goodgirlz233... I suppose it could potentially live up to your expectations! So... Enjoy!**

**I Do Not Own The Fosters**

It was a beautiful day in Mission Bay, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping and children were milling about Anchor Beach charter school, like any other day.

As Lena rolled in to her parking space and bid farewell to her children she couldn't help but smile and appreciate the life she had, she had a loving wife, three beautiful children, a stable job and a lovely home in the heart of San Diego. She knew that not everyone was as lucky as her and she was going to do her very best to make a difference in their lives... She just didn't know where to start.

Callie was watching her brother stare intently out the window with a huge grin and she couldn't help but envy his happiness and innocence. She felt a throbbing in the back of her head from when John got rough and she was bitter. Callie was frustrated that the system would leave them in this situation and she was angry with her parents. She knew that her dad made a mistake but he was the reason that her mother was dead. As she is thinking about their life she sees Anchor Beach in the distance and she can't help the sense of relief wash over her. Jude and Callie have come to cherish their time at Anchor Beach but are good at distancing themselves and keeping their home life separated from their school day. "We're here buddy" Callie said as she tapped Jude's shoulder to get his attention. He looks at her with a twinkle in his eye and smiles in understanding.

Jesus and Mariana went to join their friends as Brandon took a seat in the courtyard, he watches the kids arriving, searching for someone in particular. At once he spots her, leading a young boy off the bus; "Hey! Hey!" Brandon jogs over to meet them at the entrance of Anchor Beach, "Hi! I was looking for you, my Mama packed you a lunch and I wanted to give it to you! Do you want to eat lunch together?" In Brandon's excitement he neglected to notice how startled and confused the two kids were. "Um, uh.. thank you?" Callie stuttered as she struggled to gain her composure, she looked at Jude and back at Brandon, trying to decide if she should take the brown bag. Jude finally stepped forward, took the lunch and smiled gratefully at Brandon. For a man of few words, Jude was able to convey a lot with his eyes and contagious smile, Brandon's smile faded as he didn't understand; "ah well... That was... The lunch was for her..." "He's my brother and thanks again." Callie cut him off as the awkwardness was becoming too much for her to handle. She promptly took hold of Jude's shoulders and led him around Brandon; and towards the double doors.

Brandon, feeling quite overwhelmed with this new information, musters up the courage to call after them; "Wait! What's your names?" He's tracking them with his eyes when he sees Callie flash a mischievous smile over her shoulder... Brandon can't help but chuckle quietly to himself... His desire to help these two is unbelievable...

At 12:05, on the dot, the lunch bell rings and the halls of Anchor Beach comes to life with children, teachers and chatter. Callie and Jude always meet at the water fountain, right next to the library and walk to lunch together. They take a seat in the courtyard and Callie starts to pull food out of the brown bag, from Brandon, she passes a majority of the food to Jude and keeps a half of peanut butter and jelly for herself. From a distance, Brandon observed the exchange when Jesus brought him back to reality; "Are you gonna come eat with Mari and I? Or just stand here like a fool?" Brandon glanced at Jesus then back at Callie, "I'm going to eat with them... Catch ya later..." Jesus watched his brother walk away before he shrugged off the encounter and went to join his sister at a nearby table.

"And then Mr Riley read the note to the entire class!" Jude giggled, as Callie told him about her second period science class. Jude was listening to Callie talk about her morning when he saw Brandon approaching, his smile vanished and concern filled his eyes. Callie glanced back and sighed in frustration, she look apologetically at Jude as she moved over to make room for Brandon at the table, "Hey guys! Is it cool if I join you?" Callie found his innocent tone rather annoying but nodded in agreement, deep down she thought it would be nice to have some one that would actually talk with her but she still felt the need to protect herself and Jude. "My Mama packed me Oreos and chips ahoy! You guys want a couple?" When neither of the Jacob children answered he put the cookies back in his bag feeling rather awkward, "Say, you never told me your name?" He looked at them with curiosity, patiently awaiting answer. "My name's Callie, and you're... Brandon? Isn't your mom the vice principal? That must be rough..." "Ah it's not to bad..." Brandon smiled at Callie, noting that she neglected to mention Jude or their last names... "Do you understand the science homework? I'm completely lost..." As the conversation began to flow more easily, a friendship started to grow and the two kids talked for the rest of lunch as Jude enjoyed a decent meal.

As the day wore on, Callie and Jude grew more and more nervous about having to return to John and Mary's. John was known for holding grudges and they left him in a rather bad mood this morning... Typically they could avoid Mary and stay out of her way but John was a different story.

Lena was packing up her belongings for the day when she heard a light knock on her office door, "Come on in!" She replied in more of a rush then she anticipated. The door opened ever so slightly and Brandon slid in, he closed the door gently and walked up to Lena... Clearly something was bothering him. "Hey B! Everything alright?" She placed the files on the desk and focused all her attention on him; "Mama, Callie has a little brother and she gave him the lunch you made for her and he doesn't talk and…." "Whoa, whoa Brandon, take a breath! Who are you talking about?" Lena was caught off guard by Brandon's news and needed a bit of clarification; "The girl I brought the lunch too? Her name is Callie and her little brother doesn't talk." Lena looked up with a dawn of realization; "Did you get a last name?" Brandon's shoulders slumped; "No" he replied softly, "She didn't even tell me her brother's name... Can you help them yet?" Lena sighed and looked at her son kindly, "Buddy, just because they don't have lunch doesn't mean they aren't being cared for appropriately... Please don't worry, the teachers and myself are keeping an eye on them, okay?" Lena had other suspicions but didn't feel like Brandon needed to know that much at this time. Jesus and Mariana came in to the room and Lena went back to gathering her things as not to worry them.

"Jude! Shhhh!" Callie brings her finger to her lips to emphasize to Jude, they arrived to the house to find John passed out in the living room and they intended to leave him that way. They slowly and silently make their way up the stairs, holding their breath and avoiding the creaky steps. As they passed Mary and John's room they hear Mary laughing at the television... More like a cackling that sent chills down their spines.

Lena was engrossed in budget paperwork when she felt someone's arms wrap around her waist, she turned her head where her lips met with Stef in a gentle peck; "Hello my love, how was your day?" Stef asked as Lena set down her papers and sighed; "It was long and there are two children that I'm really concerned about. There's no real evidence but something is off with those two... Do you think you could do a background check on their parents?" "Well I can't exactly just run a check based on a feeling... As much as I'd love to help, you need a better reason and a last name..." Lena silently agreed and stood up to pull the lasagna out of the oven; "I guess I'll keep watching them..." Stef looked over apologetically as she set the table for dinner.

"What is 9 times 3?" Callie looked over at Jude, expectantly and he just shrugged; "this one is easy! Just add 9 plus 9 plus 9!" Jude, now even more confused and slightly embarrassed looked away; "it's 27... You've should've known that!" Callie says in a gentler tone and a kind smile. As the kids turn their attention back to their work, the door swings open, full force and in walks John. Callie instantly jumped to her feet, John was on a drunken rage and she would do whatever she needed to do to protect Jude. "You eat the last waffle?" His tone made Jude shrink back and Callie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up; "Y-Yes, I d-did" she stammered while glancing back at Jude. "Did you also give me attitude today? You know I don't like being disrespected." "No I-I-I didn't!" John stepped forward and grabbed Callie's upper arm, "Jude hide and cover your ears!" Callie managed before John took her out of the room. John was a bit unsteady as was intoxicated but nonetheless lead Callie to the garage. Jude was hunkered down in the closet but he could still hear John shouting, he bit his tongue to keep from crying and firmly pressed his hands against his ears...


	4. A 1000 piece jigsaw

**A/N: Hey Friends- first I wanted to thank you all for the reviews, favorites and follows! You guys rock! I also wanted to thank Lacorra and Goodgirlz333 for helping me and being so... flexible haha. Secondly, feel free to leave suggestions on where you'd like the story to go, I have a pretty clear idea on what's going to happen next but I'm open to new ideas!**

**I Do Not Own The Fosters.**

"Callie?" Jude croaked, worry filled his voice as he shook Callie by the shoulders. He found her in a closet about an hour or so later, unconscious, and he was scared. As Callie came to, she felt the pain creep up her spine and shoot through her ribs and hips. She felt a mixture of regret and frustration when she paused, Jude rarely ever spoke and to hear his voice for the first time in months made her heart leap. She looked at him with tears threatening to spill over and smiled briefly; "I'm okay bud... I just need to sleep it off" Callie knew it was worse than she was saying, but there was no reason to upset him even more. She used Jude to balance herself and they made their way up the stairs, it was a painfully slow trek up the stairs.

As Stef locked up the house and turned off lights, Lena was tucking the kids in and kissing them good night. She stopped briefly in Brandon's doorway to watch his fingers glide over the keys and his head bob to the beat of the music. She smiled as she went up, ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek;"Mama don't sneak up on me like that!" He turned to her, pulling out his ear buds and grinning at her." "Oh, I'm sooo sorry" she replied sarcastically; "10 more minutes and then in to bed, okay?" "Alright... Uh hey Mama? Do you think I could bring two lunches tomorrow? For Callie and her brother?" Brandon looked at her hopefully; "I'm not sure B, I will think about it... At the rate you're going, I'm going to be feeding the whole school soon!" She joked in attempt to lighten the mood. Brandon chuckled quietly and shook his head "Good night Mama" He gave her a hug and set about getting ready for bed.

Lena stepped out of the bedroom and walked right in to Stef's arms, they hugged a moment before walking hand in hand to their room. "So Brandon wants to bring extra lunches to Callie and her brother tomorrow..." Lena offered casually as she applied lotion to her legs; "Oh? You're both really concerned about them huh?" Stef brought the brush through her hair and glanced over at her wife; "Yeah, his natural tendency to help people is so sweet and I think the siblings really need it" "Do you think they're being abused? Or neglected?" Lena walked up behind Stef and started massaging her shoulders; "Well besides the lunches or lack there of... There's no other reason to believe that..." "Then I really don't think you two should be worrying" Stef took Lena's hand and kissed it gently; "I can't help it... It's just a gut feeling." "Love, can we really afford two more lunches based on a gut feeling?" Stef watched as Lena sighed in desperation and decided to just drop it for tonight, it was no use trying to convince her wife when she had nothing to persuade her with. "I suppose you're right..." The two women crawled into bed and Stef took Lena in to her arms and rested her face in the crook of Lena's neck; "I love you and I love your passion for these children, I know you'll do the right thing" She whispered and kissed her wife on her neck; "Good night love" Lena stared ahead and listened to her wife's breathing even out indicating that she had fallen in to a deep slumber.

"1, 2, 3, 4... 5 lunches? I thought you weren't going to give them lunch anymore?" Stef directed an accusatory look at Lena and then continued to place a piece of fruit in each bag; "I'm doing the right thing" Lena replied with air quotations, "Besides, I'm sure Brandon will lose interest and then we'll be able to move on." Lena leaned over to put a second sandwich in Jesus's bag and kiss her wife good morning. "Okay" Stef was hesitant but finished packing all 5 lunches upon Lena's insistence. Mariana made her way in to the kitchen and took a seat at the counter, she reached for a cereal bowl and finally noticed the extra lunch sacks; "I know Jesus eats a lot but don't you think three lunches is a bit much?" She looked at the moms quizzically as Brandon appeared at the bottom of the stairs smiling from ear to ear; "Those are for Callie and her brother! Right Mama?!" Brandon was thrilled that his mothers saw it his way and decided to assist him, "Yes B" Lena replied casually while she placed the lunch bags in their designated backpacks. "Isn't Callie the girl you went and sat with instead of Mari and I? She's kinda freaky" Jesus shrugged his shoulders as he sauntered in to the kitchen, grabbing an orange and a banana on his way to the counter. "She's not freaky! She's just... Shy." Brandon said defensively and Jesus held up his hands in surrender; "Okay whatever!" "Hey hey, that's enough, let's finish up breakfast please? So we're not late!" In an exasperated tone, Stef looked at her wife and tilts her head, sending a silent message; "It's going to be fine" Lena whispers and the ladies kiss each other goodbye; "I'll see you this evening"

Today, Jesus and Mariana waited in the court yard with Brandon, in effort to support their brother and help these mystery kids. "Where are they?" Jesus asked anxiously as he was not a patient man; "They'll be here any minute, they get off of bus 3..." Brandon glanced at Jesus and then back at the parking lot; "You don't have to stay..." He said rather hopeful as not to make Callie uncomfortable. "We want to meet them!" Mariana stated; "You didn't stop talking about her at all last night, she seems important." Mariana glared at her oldest brother; "There they are!" Brandon hopped up from his seat to meet them in front of the school entrance again. "Hi Callie! This is my sister Mariana and my brother Jesus! Jesus, Mari, this is Callie and her brother!" Jude grinned, the possibility of having more friends was thrilling and the highlight of his morning. Unfortunately Callie was still feeling the beating from last night and the pain was clouding her judgement, so she simply nodded in acknowledgment in their direction. "Well here are your lunches!" Brandon handed over the sacks and noted the gratitude in Jude's eyes, Jude took his own lunch bag and went up to Brandon to hug him in thanks. Callie then took Jude's hand and led him in to Anchor Beach without another word. "Well she's... Friendly?" Mariana was confused as to how Brandon could befriend someone as cold as Callie but was whisked away by a few friends before she could question him anymore. "Yeah... I gotta go." Jesus shook his head, slightly disappointed that he missed the free time before school began to meet Callie and Jude... Who didn't prove to be a better alternative. Brandon watched his siblings go their own way before he started for the double doors, he knew something was wrong and he was going to take it upon himself to find out what it was.

Callie spent most of the day in sort of a daze, as the pain really was making it merely impossible to focus on anything else. She sat staring out the window when the bell caught her attention, she slowly stood up and gathered her books when her teacher asked her to stay behind; "Hey Callie, is everything okay? You didn't really participate in class and to be honest, I'm not really sure you were completely here today..." Mrs. Connors looked at Callie meaningfully, patiently awaiting an answer from the young girl. Callie swallowed the lump in her throat and look away; "Y-yes I'm fine." "Are you sure? Perhaps a visit to the nurse would do you some good" She tilted her head to look in to Callie's eyes, she saw the panic etched on her face and decided she would need to bring this to Karina and Lena's attention, "No, I will be okay. Thanks." Callie glanced up at Mrs. Connors, forced a smile and swiftly left the room.

Stef thought today would be a good day to surprise her wife with lunch, she has had a lot on her mind. She carefully made her way through the busy courtyard towards Lena's office when she spotted Mariana and Jesus with a large group of friends, they were so preoccupied with their lunches and the chatter that they didn't even notice her. She then started to look for Brandon, she was secretly hoping to get a glimpse of Callie. She continued walking when she saw B sitting with who she assumed was Callie and Jude. She started making her way towards Brandon's table when she heard her name, she spun around to see a smiling Lena; "What are you doing here!?" Stef glanced back at B and his friends and figured it was best to let them be; "Oh, I thought we could have lunch together? I brought Thai!" Lena grinned and led Stef through the sea of kids towards her office. Finally at their destination, they took their seats and began distributing food; "Hey, who was B sitting with?" Lena looked up from her noodles and tilted her head; "That's Callie and her brother..." "Oh... They look... A bit rough" Lena gave Stef an "I told you so" look and resumed eating; have you looked at their files or gotten any info on them?" Stef was starting to see what had her wife and son so concerned and she could feel the worry bubble up inside her. "Nope, I haven't had any reason to pull the kids records and we can't just call child protective services based on a whim" Stef looked at her wife in disbelief and sighed as she realized there was nothing that could be done right now.

"Did you try the apple tarts? Those are my mom's favorite and she doesn't share well" Brandon had been sitting with the Jacob sibling for nearly a half hour and neither of them has said a word. He was used to Jude's silence by now but he was worried about Callie; "I don't really like them but Jesus and my mom compete to see who can eat the most!" He couldn't help but laugh when Jude took a bite of his apple tart and smiled like none other. Callie had been picking at her lunch, she didn't have much of an appetite but didn't want to come off rude... She really was thankful for the lunches and Brandon's friendship, she just wasn't in the mood. Luckily she was saved by the bell. she carefully got to her feet and thanked Brandon as she followed Jude back toward the school.

As Lena strode through the halls of Anchor Beach, she thought of all the things she needed to get done before the final bell of the day rang. She was in her own little world when an elementary teacher stepped in her path; "Oh Heather! Hi! I'm sorry I'm not paying attention..." "No no, Lena it's fine, actually do you have a moment to talk privately?" Lena took her middle finger and her index finger and massaged in between her eyes, she could feel a migraine coming and she wasn't prepared; "Uh sure, let's just step in to your room" Heather closed the door behind them and looked over at Lena; "I'm so sorry to take your time, I know you're a busy lady and you have far more important things to be doing right now..." Heather looked on apologetically as Lena nodded, giving her the "Go ahead", "I am extremely concerned about Jude Jacob and his progress here at Anchor Beach." She figured it was best to get to the point as Lena was obviously in a hurry; "I haven't heard him say a single word since he joined my class and his grades are not good... I'm not sure how he is even a student here..." Heather felt guilty as this could potentially get Jude removed from the Anchor Beach program but she felt she was doing him an injustice for his education. "Okay, I will take a look at his file tonight or tomorrow and then I will get you and Karina together to discuss what needs to be done... Alright?" Unbeknownst Lena, she found another piece of a rather complicated puzzle...


End file.
